Educational Science

'Mpox' is the new name for monkeypox, the WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a new name for the viral disease monkeypox: mpox. The agency announced the name change on Monday (Nov. 28) after deliberating over the term for more than five months. When the outbreak of monkeypox expanded earlier this year, racist and stigmatizing language online, in...

Should you get the new COVID-19 booster shot? Here's everything you need to know.

Two newly updated COVID-19 booster shots are now available in the U.S.: one made by Moderna and one made by Pfizer and BioNTech. The Moderna booster is available for people ages 18 and up, and the Pfizer-BioNTech booster can be given to those ages 12 and up. Individuals qualify for...

A specific type of poliovirus has been spreading in Rockland County, New York, as well as in neighboring areas, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to add the United States to a list of countries where similar polioviruses have been detected. The list includes about 30 countries in Europe, Asia...

1st confirmed monkeypox fatality reported in the US

A Los Angeles County resident with a severely weakened immune system has died of monkeypox, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health reported Monday (Sept. 12). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also assessed the case and confirmed that the death was due to a monkeypox infection,...

Is monkeypox going to spread in children?

As the school year kicks into gear across the United States, a smattering of monkeypox cases in children have made headlines. On the heels of COVID-19's explosive spread, how worried should parents be that monkeypox will start spreading widely in children? The good news is that although parents should know...

Dozens of ancient viruses are 'switched on' in healthy cells throughout our bodies

Traces of ancient viruses are littered throughout the human genome, embedded within the DNA's structure. Scientists already knew that some of these viral artifacts can activate in cancer cells and potentially contribute to the disease's progression — but now, a new study reveals that the viruses are active in dozens...

Flu on the rise in the US as season kicks off early

Flu season is off to an unusually early start in the U.S., with Southeastern and South Central states currently reporting the highest rates of infection in the country, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We've noted that flu activity is starting to increase...

12 microscopic discoveries that went 'viral' in 2022

Viruses have been a near-constant subject of headline news in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began. But of course, the pathogens' influence stretches back to the start of human history and beyond — in fact, viruses have had a hand in shaping the trajectory of all life on...

Stunning video captures a virus on the verge of breaking into a cell

The eerily random path of a virus poised to attack has been caught on video. Using a new microscopy technique, researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina have visualized a virus bouncing around the intestinal lining, looking for entry into a cell. To use a home-invasion metaphor, the moment...

Lab-made COVID-19 hybrid sparks controversy

Boston University scientists have created a hybrid version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Their experiments sparked controversy, with heated headlines claiming that the researchers made the virus more lethal and university officials denouncing these claims as false and inaccurate. The new omicron spike-carrying virus — built by attaching the...